[plus1zero]

Originally Posted by WhiteMale

Reminds me of my 4th Gen 1994 had a Bose system and as I remember it, it was garbage and no one that listened thought it was any good. I want to say it only had 3 speakers but it was a very long time ago.

Yeah those bose systems from 1994 were hot garbage compared to the ones from nowadays lol.

I always liked the bose systems in the GMs I've had. The best sounding one I had was in my AT4. Currently have a B&O, it's decent but I still like the Bose sound better, the sub is better with the Bose too IMO.

[Jus Cruisin]

It's plenty good enough for me. This car is a toy for me and a sound system isn't near the top of the list.

[Chippy]

Originally Posted by Msquared

The entire communications protocol throughout the Camaro changed for 2019 from MOST to an ethernet-based protocol. I'm sure this allowed for a higher bitrate over the lines, and it looks to me like the Bose system uses the Radio and HMI modules to send a digital signal to the amp in the trunk, which means the amp is also a DAC. This is unlike the base (1SS 1LE) system, where the Radio module does the amplification and sends music directly to the speakers; or the mid-tier (SS with amp in trunk but no Bose) systems, where the Radio module sends low-level analog signals to the amp, which then does the traditional amplification and sends music to the speakers. So it is possible that higher bit depth and sample rate improve the sound quality? Maybe...I don't know.

But yes, that's why the older NAV-TV units only work in cars up to the 2018 MY.

I use a Dragonfly red Dac from my iPhone with lossless files/downloads with the headphone jack. It’s night and day difference in sound quality. The system is lacking for sure but a good source into it helps a lot. I’m not going to upgrade the system in this car as it’s really just a track toy.

[Msquared]

Originally Posted by Chippy

I use a Dragonfly red Dac from my iPhone with lossless files/downloads with the headphone jack. It’s night and day difference in sound quality. The system is lacking for sure but a good source into it helps a lot. I’m not going to upgrade the system in this car as it’s really just a track toy.

Wow, that's an interesting idea, at least for the base and mid-tier systems that send analog signals out of the radio unit. With Bose, I would think the system is "re-digitizing" your input and processing it all over again, because it looks like only digital signals go to the amp in the trunk. But maybe I'm missing something.

[MX5Racer]

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

He’s 100% right on the rears, they don’t get a full signal.

I tried fading to just the rears the other day and Dear Lord they sounded somewhat worse than the single speaker pocket radio I got for $1 at a yard sale when I was a kid.

[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by MX5Racer

I tried fading to just the rears the other day and Dear Lord they sounded somewhat worse than the single speaker pocket radio I got for $1 at a yard sale when I was a kid.

Yea, they really suck… that’s for sure. Supposedly they’re for “fill” with reduced range, stupid low power and the crappiest speakers going. As others have said, you could probably just go new fronts, if you wanted to upgrade. But, I actually deleted the back sail speakers and installed 6x9’s in the rear deck / with an amp (prior to knowing about the reduced range issue). As a whole, the system sounds ALOT better, because they now work to “fill” in some of the voids the overall lame base system speakers.

Even with that rear upgrade and fading just to the back, the sound is still not good / full. When I get the harness for the front speaker upgrade, I may see what the new rear deck speakers sound like with the fronts speaker signal (just out of curiosity).

[MX5Racer]

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

I may see what the new rear deck speakers sound like with the fronts speaker signal (just out of curiosity).

Ahh good call

[keep_hope_alive]

Originally Posted by Chutzpah

Even with that rear upgrade and fading just to the back, the sound is still not good / full. When I get the harness for the front speaker upgrade, I may see what the new rear deck speakers sound like with the fronts speaker signal (just out of curiosity).

At that point, just use the front signal to feed a small aftermarket amp for the rear 6x9. It's ok to have the high-level input to the amp in parallel with the front speakers. That way you don't have to re-wire the fronts.

Ideally, you'd put a 4ch amp in to power the fronts and rears separately (so you can have unique crossover settings) and just use the front speaker signal as the amp input.

[Chutzpah]

Originally Posted by keep_hope_alive

At that point, just use the front signal to feed a small aftermarket amp for the rear 6x9. It's ok to have the high-level input to the amp in parallel with the front speakers. That way you don't have to re-wire the fronts.

Ideally, you'd put a 4ch amp in to power the fronts and rears separately (so you can have unique crossover settings) and just use the front speaker signal as the amp input.

I hear you on the ideally part…If I didn’t already have an amp neatly installed, I’d go the 4 channel w/DSP route. And if I tap the fronts signal for the rears, I’ll probably have to add a balancing knob. I’m not certain I want to do that (we’ll see). Just trying to keep any further upgrades less than $800.